Chapter 181: Taste

Rin stayed on the couch, coat open, thin top clinging to her chest. Her eyes stayed on the stairs. Another step creaked above us. Linda’s voice drifted down, low and careful.

"Master?"

I did not answer. Rin’s hands tightened on her knees. She glanced at the open front door again, then back at me. The night air moved through the room and raised the fine hairs on her arms. She pulled the coat closed halfway, then stopped, as if the motion felt pointless.

"I can go," she said. "Right now. I won’t tell anyone I was here."

"Stay."

The word came out flat. She froze. Upstairs, the bedroom door closed again. Soft footsteps moved across the floor, then stopped. I walked farther into the living room and sat on the arm of the chair opposite her. Rin watched every movement. Her top had ridden up slightly when she shifted. A strip of bare stomach showed above the waistband of her jeans. She noticed and tugged the fabric down with unsteady fingers.

"Linda told you to come," I said.

"Yes." Her voice was quieter now. "Yesterday. She said if things got bad at my place I could sleep on the couch. She didn’t say anyone else would be here."

I studied her face. Early twenties. Dark eyes. The kind of nervous that came from walking into a house that no longer matched what she had been promised. Her nipples were still hard under the thin fabric. She kept her arms crossed low, trying to hide them without making it obvious.

"What’s bad at your place?"

She hesitated. "My roommate. He... doesn’t like when I lock my door. I left before he got back."

Another silence. I could hear Linda and Cherry moving upstairs, slow and careful, like they were listening. Rin heard it too. Her gaze flicked to the ceiling, then returned to me.

"Are they—" she started, then stopped. Color rose in her cheeks. "Never mind."

I stood. She tensed but did not rise. I crossed the short distance and stopped in front of her. Close enough that she had to tilt her head back to keep eye contact. The coat had fallen open again. I reached down and caught the edge of it, holding it wide. She sucked in a breath but did not pull away.

"Stand up."

She obeyed. The movement brought her closer. The top of her head reached just below my chin. Her jeans sat low on her hips. The thin top was short enough that the underside of her breasts brushed the fabric when she breathed. I let the coat slide off her shoulders. It pooled on the couch behind her. She stood in the thin top and jeans, arms at her sides, fingers curled.

"Turn around."

She turned. I stepped in behind her and set both hands on her waist. She went still. My thumbs rested just above the waistband of her jeans. I could feel the heat of her skin through the thin top. She was breathing faster now. I slid one hand higher, under the hem, and rested my palm flat against her stomach. Her muscles jumped.

"Linda didn’t tell you everything," I said against the side of her neck.

"No."

"You’re going to stay tonight anyway."

She nodded once. The motion was small. I moved my hand higher until my fingers brushed the underside of her breast. She made a quiet sound and leaned back a fraction, then caught herself. I did not push further. I simply held her there, palm warm against her skin, and listened to the house.

Upstairs, the bedroom door opened again. Footsteps started down the stairs, two sets this time. Rin stiffened. I kept my hand where it was. Linda appeared first, wearing one of my shirts, the hem reaching mid-thigh. Cherry followed in a towel, hair still damp, eyes lowered. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs when they saw us.

Linda’s gaze moved from my hand under Rin’s top to Rin’s face. Something passed between them. Recognition. Then resignation. Cherry stayed half a step behind her mother, towel clutched at her chest.

"Rin," Linda said. Her voice was steady. "You came."

"I— yes." Rin’s hands had risen to cover mine where it rested against her. She did not try to move it. "I didn’t know he would be here."

Linda looked at me. I met her eyes and did not remove my hand. She understood. She crossed the room and stopped in front of Rin. For a moment the three of us stood close enough that Rin’s shoulder brushed Linda’s arm. Cherry remained by the stairs, watching.

"She’s staying," I said.

Linda nodded. She reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind Rin’s ear, the same way she had done for me earlier. The touch was gentle. Rin’s breath caught. Linda’s fingers lingered at her jaw.

"Come upstairs," Linda said. "Both of you."

I stepped back. My hand slipped free. Rin swayed once, then steadied. She picked up her coat but did not put it on. Linda turned and started up the stairs. Rin followed. Cherry waited until they had passed, then fell in behind them. I locked the front door, turned off the living room light, and went up last.

The bedroom was still warm. The sheets were rumpled. Linda guided Rin to the edge of the bed and sat her down. Cherry stayed near the door, towel tight around her body. I closed the door behind me and locked it again.

Rin looked between the three of us. Her top had ridden up once more. She did not fix it. Linda sat beside her and rested a hand on her knee.

"You can leave if you want," Linda said quietly. "No one will stop you."

Rin’s eyes moved to me. I stood with my back against the door. She looked at Cherry, then at the open space between Linda’s thighs where the shirt had ridden up. Her tongue touched her lower lip.

"I don’t want to leave," she said.

Linda’s hand slid higher on her thigh. Cherry’s fingers loosened on the towel. I watched Rin’s chest rise and fall under the thin fabric. The house was quiet again. No footsteps outside. No cars on the street. Only the soft sound of Linda’s palm moving against denim and the unsteady rhythm of Rin’s breathing as she waited to see what would happen next.